Process for masking and spray painting automotive vehicle



May 1, 1962 1.. s. LEWIS ETAL PRocEss FOR MASKING AND SPRAY PAINTING AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 9, 1957 FITTING 8 TAPING SPRAYING 8 BAKING May 1, 1962 L. s. LEWIS ETAL PROCESS FOR MASKING AND SPRAY PAINTING AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE Filed May 9, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.

FIG. IO

nited States j atent fifice 3,032,433 Patented May I, 1962 The present invention relates to processes and prod ucts that involve masking portions of automotive vehicles while painting remaining portions thereof and, more particularly, to automotive painting processes and paint maskers useful therein, the masking products possessing unprecedented utility and versatility and the masking processes possessing remarkable efiiciency and simplicity, by virtue of a novel associationof structural design and material selection.

Objects of the present invention are: to provide automotive maskers possessing the foregoing characteristics, I

by virtue of a construction comprising at most relatively few discrete sections, joined to each other by more or less continuous rows of simple stitching to conform roughly to at least a portion of an automotive vehicle, and each section composed of a fabric externally coated With a silicone resin, in which is dispersed a radiation reflective pigment, particularly aluminum; to provide masking processes of the foregoing type comprising the steps of fitting at least a portion of such a masker to the corresponding part of an automotive vehicle, taping edges of the masker to portions of the automotive vehicle contiguous with the edges of the masker; and to provide masking processes of the foregoing type in which the painted portion of the automotive vehicle is baked without removal of the masker.

Other objects of the present invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

' The invention accordingly comprises the product possessing the features, properties and the relation of components and the process involving the several steps and the relation and order of one or more such steps with respect to each of the others, which are exemplified in the following detailed disclosure and the scope of which will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a flow chart of a process exemplifying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a preferred masker, fitted to an automotive vehicle in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the masker of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another masked fitted to the corresponding part of an automotive vehicle in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the masker of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a further masker fitted to the corresponding part of an automotive vehicle in accordance with the present invention;

' FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the masker of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a top plan View of still another masker fitted to the corresponding part of an automotive vehicle in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a top plan view of the masker of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of still a further masker fitted to the corresponding part of an automotive vehicle in accordance with the present invention; and

FIG. 11 is a broken-away, perspective view, illustrating the construction of the masker of FIG. 10.

Generally, the process specifically disclosed in FIG. 1

as illustrative of the present invention involves the following steps. First, part of an automotive vehicle 20 is covered by a masker 22 constructed from sections of a textile fabric 24 externally coated at 26 with a silicone resin in which is dispersed a radiation reflective pigment, preferably aluminum powder. Next, the edges of the masker are taped to contiguous portions of the automotive vehicle by means of a strip 28 having a pressure sensitive adhesive 30 on its inner face. Next, automotive paint 32 is sprayed upon these contiguous portions. Then, these contiguous portions are baked, while masker 22 is retained in fitted position upon the automotive vehicle. Finally masker 22 is removed from automotive vehicle 20. Although baking the contiguous portions while retaining the masker in place is a step of the pre-v ferred process, it is to be understood that maskers of the present invention may be used in conventional fashion merely to shield portions of the automotive vehicle from paint being sprayed.

For best results, the material from which the maskers are constructed comprises a cotton cloth having from 50 to 60 warp threads and from 47 to 57 filling threads per square inch and weighing from 0.1 to 0.2 pound per square yard. The outer face of this material is coated with a thin layer, of the order of approximately .001 inch thick, of a silicone resin containing dispersed therein from 10 to 25% by total weight of powdered aluminum. Generally, s'uch silicone resins are organo-polysiloxanes including such materials as silcarbanes and silicanes, as well as silicone-alkyd and silicone-phenolic resins. Typically these silicones are produced from organosilicon halide intermediates by the direct method, the Grignard method or the olefin method. Preferably, tape 28 is composed of disposable paper and its pressure sensitive adhesive coating is composed of a heat resistant silicone adhesive. The paint with which the automotive vehicle is sprayed is a conventional enamel or lacquer.

Discrete sections of the masker, as shown at 34 and 36, are bound at their registered and superposed edges, by the overlapping longitudinally extending sections a folded tape 38. The overlapping edges of the folded tape and the register edges of the sections therebetween are sewn together by simple chain stitching 40. The tape, preferably composed of a plastic, assures that the seam is impermeable to the paint sprayed upon it. Generally, the baking step is effected, for example by infra-red illumination, at a temperature ranging from to 250 for a period ranging from a few minutes to an hour. The construction of the masker is such as to retain paint that becomes caked upon it in order to avoid its flaking off and its adhering to the paint before it is dried. The weight and stiffness of the material of which the masker is composed renders it convenient for manual fitting to a portion of the automotive vehicle. This material is woven so as to be of high tensile strength and to provide a porous surface to which any automotive paint will adhere notwithstanding its physical-chemical incompatibility with the silicone coating. The paint may be easily removed by dipping the masker in a solution of an organic solvent for the paint but not for the silicone coating.

The masker of FIGS. 2 and 3, generally designated by 42 comprises two continuous longitudinal sections 44 and 46 joined by a seam 48 extending from the rear trunk, over the roof and front hood of an automobile. Adjoining each other in sequence along the free edge of section 44 are a rear fender section 50, a rear triangular junction section 52, a rear medial flap 54, a forward medial flap 56, a forward triangular junction section 58 and a front fender section 60. It will be observed that rear fender section 50 is joined to longitudinal section 44 throughout its rear and upper edges by a seam 62 and is joined to the lower edge of triangular junction 52 by a seam 64. Rear triangular junction 52 is joined to longitudinal section 44 by a seam 66. Rearward medial flap 54 is joined at its upper edge to longitudinal section 44 by a seam 68 and at its upper rearward edge to triangular junction 52 by a seam 70. Front flap 56 is joined at its upper edge to medial section 44 by a seam 72 and to the rearward edge of front triangular junction section 58 by a seam 76. Front triangular junction section 58 is joined to longitudinal section 44 by seam 74. Front fender section 60 is joined to front triangular junction section 58 by a seam 78 and to medial section 44 along its upper and forward edges by seam '79. The other rear fender section, rear triangular junction section, rear medial flap, front medial flap, front triangular junction section and front fender section 'are joined to each other and to longitudinal section 46 in like manner. Seams 48, 62, 64, 66, 68, 70, 72, 74, 76, 78 and 79 are of the type described above at 34. The free edges of the various sections are unbound and unhemmed for the purpose of permitting smooth masking operations. This masker, which normally covers the automobile completely from bumper to bumper, is designed so that flaps and other portions thereof may be raised to expose doors, fenders, trunks, hoods, etc. that are to be selectively painted.

FIGS. 4 and illustrate a roof masker 80 comprising a pair of longitudinal sections 82 and 84 joined along their inner edges by a seam 86. Masker 80 further includes forward and rearward panels 88 and 90 and side panels 92 and 94 joined to each other by seams 96, 98, 100, and 102-. All seams are of the type described above in connection with FIG. 1. Masker 80, which covers the tops of coaches and sedans down to the door panels, is useful for two-tone work when the entire lower section of the car is to be painted.

FIGS. 6 and 7 disclose 'a lower front masker simply constructed from a pair of medial longitudinal panels 104 and 106 and a pair of side panels 108 and 110, which project rearwardly of the back edge of medial panels 104 and 106. These panels are connected to each other by seams 112, 114, and 116 of the type described above in connection with FIG. 1. This masker covers the hood and front doors of sedans and coaches, extending back to the forward edges of the rear doors and down to the level of the center of the wheels. It will be noted that the back edge of medial panels 104 and 106 is of greater length than is the medial distance between seams 112 and 116, whereby the lower section of the windshield is protected.

FIGS. 8 and 9 disclose a lower rear masker simply constructed from a pair of medial longitudinal panels 118 and 120 and a pair of side panels 122 and 124, which project forwardly of the front edge of medial panels 118 and 120. These panels are connected to each other by seams 126, 128, and 130 of the type described above in connection with FIG. 1. This masker protects the trunk and the rear doors of coaches and sedans, extending forward to the back edge of the front doors and down to the level of the center of the wheels. It will be noted that the length of the front edge of medial sections 118 and 120 is greater than the medial distance between seams 126 and 130.

FIGS. and 11 disclose a wheel masker comprising an outer generally circular panel 132 having a fiat lower edge 134, and a inwardly projecting, generally cyliiidrical portion 136 extending from the periphery of outer panel 132. Outer panel 132 is connected to cylindrical panel 132 by a seam 138. The inner edges of cylindrical portion 136 enclose an arc of spring metal 140 which locks the masker over the wheel to be shielded.

'All of the maskers illustrated in FIGS. 3 through 11 have been constructed by way of specific example from sections cut from cotton fabric of plain square weave, 57 inches wide and measuring 4.3 yards per pound, having 56 warp and 52 filler threads per square inch. This cloth was coated at a doctor blade setting of .001 inch with a hydrocarbon solution containing by total weight approximately 35% of a silicone-polyvinyl butyral resin and 15% of powdered aluminum. When dried, this coating combined with the cotton fabric to produce panels haying the characteristics described above, V a I Since certain changes may be made in the above product and process, without departing frornthe scope of the invention herein involved, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown on the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted in an illustrative and not a limiting sense.

What is claimed is: U j

1. The process comprising the steps of fitting at least a portion of a smasker to a corresponding part of an automotive vehicle, said masker comprising sufliciently flexible to permit draping over a portion of a vehicle panels composed of a woven fabric coated with an organo-polysiloxane resin in which is dispersed a thermal radiation reflecting pigment said fabric being composed of cotton cloth having from 50 to 60 warp threads and from 47 to 57 filler threads per square inch, taping edges of said masker to portions of said automotive vehicle upon which they are superposed, spray painting exposed portions of said automotive vehicle contiguous with the edges of said masker, baking said contiguous portions while retaining said masker in position upon said automotive vehicle, and removing said masker from said automotive vehicle.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein said resin contains said pigment in an amount by total weight ranging from 10 to 25%.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein said resin contains said pigment in an amount by total weight ranging from 10 to 25%, said pigment is aluminum, and said baking is effected at a temperature within the range from to 250 C.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,715,286 Hardy May 28, 1929 2,032,845 Humphner Mar. 3, 1936 2,242,032 Hank May 13, 1941 2,405,348 Engelheart Aug. 6, 1946 2,630,573 Rand Mar. 10, 1953 2,630,620 Rand Mar. 10, 1953 2,666,840 Poirier Jan. 19, 1954 2,821,487 Humrncl Jan. 28, 1958 2 ,849,012 Cohen et a1 Aug. 26, 1958 2,919,218 Le May Dec. 29, 1959 OTHER REFERENCES Modern Automobile Painting, Pearce, David McKay Co., pub. 1927, pages 212-219 pertinent. 

1. THE PROCESS COMPRISING THE STEPS OF FITTING AT LEAST A PORTION OF A SMASKER TO A CORRESPONDING PART OF AN AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE, SAID SMASKER COMPRISING SUFFICIENTLY FLEXIBLE TO PERMIT DRAPING OVER A PORTION OF A VEHICLE PANELS COMPOSED OF A WOVEN FABRIC COATED WITH AN ORGANO-POLYSILOXANE RESIN IN WHICH IS DISPERSED A THERMAL RADIATION REFLECTING PIGMENT SAID FABRIC BEING COMPOSED OF COTTON CLOTH HAVING FROM 50 TO 60 WARP THREADS AND FROM 47 TO 57 FILLER THREADS PER SQUARE INCH, TAPING EDGES OF SAID MASKER TO PORTIONS OF SAID AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE UPON WHICH THEY ARE SUPERPOSED, SPRAY PAINTING EXPOSED PORTIONS OF SAID AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE CONTIGUOUS WITH THE EDGES OF SAID MASKER, BAKING SAID CONTIGUOUS PORTIONS WHILE RETAINING SAID MASKER IN POSITION UPON SAID AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE, AND REMOVING SAID MASKER FROM SAID AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE. 